Painting a dismal picture of the Indian farm sector today, he said around 2,500 farmers were giving up the profession daily and that 270,000 farmers had committed suicide in the last 20 years due to indebtedness.

Modi said he hoped the Global Agricultural Summit would help farmers learn about latest farm technology as well as progressive practices employed in other countries.

The summit has attracted experts and diplomats from several countries including Denmark, the Netherlands, South Africa, the Maldives, Ireland, Australia, Seychelles, Gambia, Malawi, Madagascar and Bolivia.

In a speech far more critical of the central government, Badal demanded that the Commission for Agriculture Costs and Prices, which decides the minimum support price of foodgrain, be made autonomous.

"This body should be autonomous," he said, as its head Ashok Gulati sat on the dais with Modi and other dignitaries.

"The government should not decide the minimum support price," he added. "This (autonomous) body should have genuine representatives of farmers."

The Punjab chief minister accused the CACP and the central government of not paying farmers enough for their produce.

"Are your decisions right?" he asked, looking towards Gulati. "Do you know how much diesel and other input costs have gone up?

"We are not even consulted regarding the pricing (of foodgrain)."

Badal criticized the central government's suggestion that farmers in Punjab should give up rice cultivation in view of depleting water table.

"It's easy to say 'don't grow paddy'. But when there was a crisis in agriculture, the farmer was told to grow paddy. Now that the farmer is in crisis, should not the government come to his help?

According to Modi, the two-day meet has drawn farmers from 542 districts of India.